The last year or so has been a tough one for Australian batsman Steve Smith. He was found guilty in the ball-tampering scandal at the Newlands in Cape Town and was, subsequently, handed a one-year suspension from Cricket Australia (CA). He has been playing T20 tournament across the globe ever since in order to stay connected with the game and keep himself in tune with the game.

His ban is set to see an end in the last week of March along with fellow teammate David Warner, who was also a part of the Sandpapergate. However, Smith’s miseries don’t seem to come to a halt as he now has been ruled of the next edition’s Indian Premier League (IPL) and CA confirmed the news as per reports in Times Now. The 29-year-old batter would now undergo an elbow surgery.

The operation would be done on Tuesday to repair a ligament in his right elbow. Moreover, the country’s cricket board also mentioned that Smith would be wearing a brace for the next six weeks and thereafter will undergo extensive rehabilitation. It also means that his participation in the 2019 World Cup in England and Wales, starting May 30, has well and truly also come under the clouds.

Steve Smith pulls out of the BPL

There can also be a case that he’ll miss the limited-overs series against Pakistan and wouldn’t have any match practice before the 50-overs mega tournament. The New South Wales-born player recently captained the Comilla Victorians in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). The right-hander scored 16 and 0 in the two matches and then had to pull out due to the injury.

Rajasthan Royals (RR) won the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) under the leadership of Shane Warne. Nevertheless, the franchise has strained ever since and haven’t been able to get their hands on the coveted trophy. After missing the last IPL due to the controversy in South Africa, Smith has been retained by the Royals, but the team now won’t have the privilege of having him.